Activist: I'll sue to preserve eels
Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel Wednesday, February 14, 2007

AUGUSTA -- Fish passage activist Douglas Watts said he plans to take his case to court if the state doesn't decide in his favor in a March hearing.

Watts wants the Bureau of Environmental Protection to modify permits held by the owners of four dams in order to require immediate fish passage along stretches of the Kennebec River through central Maine.

The state-issued permits are illegal with the current language, and current practices threaten the American eel, American shad, blueback herring, alewife and Atlantic salmon by limiting their movements through the Kennebec River, according to Watts.

"They (signatories of the agreement) made a mistake, and it needs to be fixed," he said.

But at least one environmental group is saying that the current arrangement is the best possible compromise.

The Natural Resources Council of Maine is pushing for the arrangement to stand.

"Look at what the original agreement has brought us. It brought the removal of the Edwards Dam, fish passage at the Benton Dam and the Burnham Dam, fish passage at the Lockwood Dam," Council staff scientist Nick Bennett said. "These are all very positive things that we don't think would have happened without the agreement."

Dams at issue are the Lockwood Hydro Project in Waterville and Winslow; the Shawmut Hydro Project in Fairfield, Benton and Clinton; and the Weston Hydro Project in Skowhegan, Norridgewock, Starks and Madison.

Various environmental groups, dam owners and individuals will present their positions on the matter at 9 a.m., Thursday, March 15 at the Calumet Club in Augusta. Watts said the BEP will hear testimony, examine evidence and render a verdict within a month or so. The hearing comes in response to petitions filed by Watts and Friends of Merrymeeting Bay. Watts, who in the past has worked with Friends of the Kennebec Salmon and Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, said he filed his petition as an individual. Friends of Merrymeeting Bay filed a separate petition.

Watts said he might consider some sort of compromise.

However, he said, "if it's just 'You guys are wrong, we disagree, we're going to keep everything the same,' I'm going to just go to Kennebec County Superior Court."

Joel Elliott -- 861-9252

jelliott@centralmaine.com


Reader comments

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Maddie Brown of Augusta, ME
Feb 14, 2007 10:48 PM
Rod, that is a really ignorant statement to make. Why should Doug Watts be locked up? Because he doesn't agree with you?

Is not that a rather narrow-minded view?

Leave people alone? Who exactly are you talking about? We're talking about companies that make oodles of money. They can afford, and should put in fish passage.

This is not a matter of simply protecting eels; we're talking about protecting an eco-system.

As someone who has been a supporter of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, I am sorry that this is the position they are taking.

I respect people like Doug Watts who will stand up for what is right. I wish others would do the same.


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Rod of Augusta, ME
Feb 14, 2007 8:57 AM
People like this should be locked up. To hell with the eels, leave the people alone.report abuse

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